White House Brief: Things to know about Gov. Chris Christie

While others were sorting out the winners and losers of Monday’s Iowa caucuses, Ohio Governor John Kasich was pointing towards next Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.

In past voting cycles, supposedly people stopped paying attention to candidates who didn’t finish near the top in Iowa.

Kasich spoke with the crowd for a little more than an hour, answering questions about policy and what he would do as president. “We need someone who actually knows how to properly attack that kind of problem, not just says they know”.

“This is probably the most active week leading up to a primary I’ve seen since I’ve been involved in 1972”, said New Hampshire National Republican Committee member Steve Duprey.

John Kasich has New Hampshire to himself this weekend, as his rivals for the Republican nomination campaign across Iowa in advance of Monday’s caucuses. “We’re all angry about Washington, D.C.”, Christie said. Christie, for instance, on Friday told radio host Laura Ingraham, “I’d like to be the No. 1 governor, Laura”.

He was widely praised for his performance, despite skepticism: Critics charged President George W. Bush only appointed the lawyer and registered lobbyist to the post of U.S. Attorney in New Jersey because of the money he raised for Bush’s 2000 campaign. The outside political organization backing Bush, called Right to Rise, has launched television ads declaring Kasich “wrong on New Hampshire issues”, citing his decision to expand Medicaid in OH – something New Hampshire has also done. Ted Cruz and former CEO Carly Fiorina. “I think if we do that than we move on to the next round like the NCAA Tournament, you know, you survive and advance, move on to the next round”. Reagan, of course, recovered and won the presidency in the November election.

“If I get snuffed out, I go home – end of story”, Kasich said while urging voters to support him.

“Unless Republicans ditch the field altogether and nominate House Speaker Paul Ryan at a contested convention, it’s Rubio or bust, ” the blog concluded.

In other words, Kasich is the best alternative to Trump – a position the OH governor has carefully crafted since he started taking a more critical tone on Trump midway through the debates.

Carson held the lead in some Iowa polls before his campaign collapsed. There were easily a half dozen other choices to look at without tapping the guy who only makes it above 4% in one state – New Hampshire – and not by that much of a margin there.